Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-12-08
A NEW
Alleged to BE the Most Perfect Apparatus
Yet Produced.

[ was invited to be present to-day at
some telephone experiments between
Paris and Brussels with q new appar-
atus. known as the .smicre-telephone
push-button." These experiments,
which were made on behalf of the two
telegraphic administrative depart
ments of France and Belgium, pro-
duced a very lively impression on
those present. aud | believe the new
apparatus to be the most perfect yet
produced.
As its name indicates. it has the
form of an ordinary electric push
button. When the button has been
pushed in, and has. made a sound at
the other extremity, it is taken out
and is found to be attached to a long
electric wire. There is thus exposed
the telephone plate, which is ex-
tremely sensitive, SO that where it is
necessary to speak at short distances
it is not necessary to come close to the
instrument. For communications in
the same street, or the same house, the
operator places the uppet part near
himself, and without changing his
position he can speak with the cores
pendent at the opposite extremity. He
is not obliged to put his ear to the part
which contains the button and brings
back the reply. Thus for short dis
tanees those who make use of this APP
paratus speak ia their ordinary tone
without changing their customary atti-
tudes. They may sit or walk about,
and speak lust as If those they were
addressing were present. When great
distances intervene, as in the expert
ments performed to-day, in which the
speakers and hearers were separated
by 200 miles, il Is necessary to come
nearer to the apparatus, but without
being Obliged to speak quite close
to IL.
But what makes the apparatus the
most successful of telephone instru-
ments is that it can be made for half a
crown4that is to say, for not more
than the price Of the ordinary push
button. Now, as it can be fitted to
the electric wire of the ordinary ring
ing apparatus, it follows that it intro
duces a complete change in our ordi-
nary modes of intercourse. At front
doors, in the interior rooms of houses
everywhere, in short, where the Or
binary electric buttons are used, the
telephone button ma be introduced.
It will by this means be possible to
give or receive instructions, to know
who is knocking at the door-to CONF
municate, in short, by speaking as
well as by ringing. On the advantage
of this in everyday life it is unneees-
sary to dwell. The railway companies
are making experiments with this APP
paratus Us q means of communication
between compartments of carriages.
1t is being fitted up on trial in hotels.
] have seen 1t work ut the door of q
private house, where / was replied to
by those within without their having
stirred from their places and without
tbs door being opened. Between Paris
and Brussels this instrument, costing
half a crown, worked with admirable
precision, and it was not altogether
without an eerie feeling that I listened
TO a voice with a slight Belgian accent
coming to me from q distance Of more
than 200 miles.
The inventor is DIR. Cornelius Herr,
enc day nominated Grand Officer of
the Legion of Honor, next day de-
scribed as an emissary of Germany.
and lastly as the friend, adviser, and
confidant of Gen. Boulanger He is
in reality an electrician whose inven-
tive talent has been stimulated by his
residence in America, where there is a
boundless demand for improvements
In electrical apparatus and In all me-
chanical contriyances. The French
Minister of Posts and Telegraphs,
under whose auspices the experiments
were carried out to day. has approved
the report made to him, and proposes
to give orders for the introduction Of
the new apparatus into all the public
administrative departments IS soon as
ii comes into Use, for as yet it has only
been m Observation-Disclosures 7iase4
Rnris Correspondence.